In the formation of computer files, there may be certain data type dependencies in place. For example, any Java class file has a particular defined Java class type. The data type of a file may define many features of a computer file of that data type. In the analysis of software artifacts, knowledge regarding data type dependency can be helpful in analyzing relationships between the artifacts.
However, to understand the data type dependencies it is generally necessary to search through the relevant computer files to determine what data type dependencies are present. This process can take a significant amount of time because the data type definitions may be scattered throughout the files. For example, the class of each Java class file is provided in the class file, thus requiring that each class file be examined to make any determinations regarding data type occurrences in the computer files.